BJP MPs from NE meet PM Modi; slam successive Congress govts for Assam-Mizoram border violence

New Delhi: BJP MPs from North East today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted a memorandum on various issues pertaining to the region incl Assam-Mizoram border row.

It states, “Series of confidence-building measures have taken place over last few days. Yet actions of Congress remain as devious & mischievous,” Tweeted ANI.

According to the memorandum,BJP MPs expressed their disapproval of attempts by a section of polity led by Congress and using these incidents to indulge in one-upmanship.

Here is the memorandum

We, the undersigned, like our fellow Indians are extremely pained by the violence that took place on the Assam-M izoram border. At the same time, we would like to express our clear disapproval of the attempt by sections of our polity led by the Congress Party to indulge in politics over these happenings and use this as a means to indulge in one-upmanship. The Chief Ministers of Assam and Mizoram have expressed the de­ sire to amicably resolve issues. A series of confidence building measures have also taken place over the last few days. Yet, the actions of the Congress Party remain as devious and mischie­ vous.

We would like to strongly convey to all those elements who view the Assam-Mizoram issue as a means of spreading chaos in India that their shenanigans will not work. India is united and will continue to move ahead on the path of progress.

We would like to unequivocally state that under the NOA Gov­ ernment led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi develop­ ment work in the Northeast has been historic and unparalleled. No Prime Minister has been as sensitive to the aspirations of the Northeast as Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The people of our region are deeply touched by his describing the Northeast as the ‘Ashtalakshmi’ of India’s progress and the rapid devel­ opment in the region as a part of the ‘Act East Policy.’

In contrast, successive Congress governments of India failed to do justice to the dreams of region. The problem with the par­ ty is fundamental – their view towards our region is patronising, condescending and reeks of a mindset akin to orientalism.

We would like to briefly turn the pages of history to illustrate our point. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mrs. Indira Gandhi were not sensitive to the aspirations of the Naga and Mizo communities. The Congress Party keeps taking credit for the Mizo Accord but in less than two years of the Accord, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi dismissed and humiliated Lalden­ ga so that the state could have a Congress Government. If the Congress Party took a harder stand on China, the people of Arunachal Pradesh would sleep even more peacefully than they did for many years. In Assam, it is an open  secret how top echelons of the Congress encouraged instability in the state through the 1970s and 1980s.

As for the development indices, successive Congress Govern­ ments left the people of the Northeast to their own fate. Basic development facilities did not reach even the relatively urban centres of the Northeast, leave aside the remote areas.

It is after 2014 that the Northeast underwent a transformative change under the statesmanship of PM Narendra Modi. Shri Narendra Modi has visited the region more than any other Prime Minister. On a weekly basis there is some or the other Central Minister in the Northeast. The Budget of the DONER Ministry has risen by 65% between 2014 and 2020. Grants from the Centre and under the 14th Financial Commission have seen a historic increase.

Over Rs. 2 lakh crore have been spent on infrastructure works in the Northeast during the last 7 years. It was under PM Narendra Modi that many states of the region came on India’s railway map. Air connectivity has improved across all the states and Sikkim got a new airport. Thousands of villages received electricity connections, roads were built at rapid pace. Similar­ ly, a record number  of educational institutions and hospitals have been built. In line with PM Modi’s vision of providing peo­ ple-centric  solutions to  long  lasting problems, the  Naga Accord, Bodo Accord and the Bru-Reang issue moved towards peaceful resolution. The Northeast is now ho’me to iconic in­ frastructure like the Bogibeel Bridge and Dhola Sadiya Bridge. Under the Modi Government, violence and insurgency in the region are down. Several people who were earlier associated with militancy have surrendered and joined the mainstream.

There are numerous other steps taken by the Modi Govern­ ment that have benefitted the Northeast. This includes the LBA with Bangladesh, NLFT agreement and the Karbi Anglong agreement which is in the final stages. The state of Manipur, which was constantly under the shadow of blockades is now past those troubling times.

Congress and its leaders have zero regard for the culture of the Northeast. We cannot forget how one senior Congress leader called headgear from the Northeast ‘outlandish’ when pictures of our beloved Prime Minister wearing traditional gears from Northeastern states were showed on social media. During the UPA years, attacks on people from the Northeast in Delhi were at an all-time high. Chief Ministers from the Northeast had to wait for weeks before Congress leaders granted them ap­ pointments and even if they did, they would play with their pets instead of focusing on the development issues of the North­ east.

In contrast, it was the Modi Government which conferred the Bharat Ratna on the great Bhupen Hazarika. Before that, it was the Vajpayee Government that conferred the award on Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi. For the first time in the history of Independent India, Arunachal Pradesh has a Cabinet Minister and Tripura has representation in the Council of Ministers.

Today, the NEDA is a strong and inclusive alliance that is cater­ ing to all sections of the Northeastern society. No wonder the region is standing solidly behind the NDA and PM Modi. Un-able to digest this, Congress and their eco-system is trying many dirty tricks. Through 2018 they tried to make the CAA and NRC as political issues but the people of the Northeast gave them a befitting reply. Now, they are stoking tempers be­ tween Assam and Mizoram.

We, the undersigned, want to state clearly that the nefarious designs of the Congress will not succeed in the Northeast. They should stop politicking on issues and focus on develop­ ment agenda. The Northeast stands with PM Modi in the pur­ suit for all round development. We are also pained by the fre­ quent disruptions of the Congress, which deny us our Parlia­ mentary privilege of raising pro-people issues from our con­ stituents. It pained us to see over Rs. 130 crore of public mon­ ey being thrown down the drain just because of the obstruc­ tions of the Congress.

Let us join ranks and work for the development of the North­ east and progress of our nation.

Jai Hind!